PHOTO CREDIT: “Earthrise” taken by Apollo 8 crewmember Bill Anders on December 24, 1968. Source: NASA
by Juliette Jones
The real magic of life is found in the essential nature of who we are and the expression of our innate creative capacities in fulfilling ways.
I have an inclination to look at life from outside the box, guided by inner vision and reliance on metaphysical law. An escape from the box, in this case, is about replacing collectively accepted, structured ways of thinking with spacious, often previously unseen approaches to self-discovery, opportunity and problem solving.
“I know nothing with certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.”––Vincent van Gogh
The cosmos is an intensely creative place. It creates from its own energy, spinning through subatomic realms, through galaxies and beyond. As human beings, we are suspended somewhere in this mix, absolutely united in the great dance of creation, made out of stardust to become instruments of consciousness and creative power. In this environment, inspired living exists in the realization of a deeper self––the real magic in the essential nature of who we are and the expression of our innate creative capacities in fulfilling ways.
There is a holy intelligence that underlies the whole of creation. To think and feel is to exert the power of creation itself. Emotion is energy in motion, and thought gives shape to energy. The extent to which our thoughts and feelings form our experience of health, prosperity and the dynamics of practical life is a discussion taken up today at the leading edge of both science and spirituality, but is best realized in the laboratory of our own beings.
In present-day vernacular, we often hear the expression “awesome,” especially as related to things that seem rather trivial. However, I like hearing the word because daily living is awesome, and the universe is unfathomably awesome, although this sort of awareness tends to escape our focus in daily life.
An experience involving real awe is not always comfortable. It’s mind-blowing and can bring us to our knees, set us apart from others, or move us beyond established conceptions of reality. It often makes room for expanded awareness, and that’s what makes it significant as an element of inspired living. A powerful inner experience of awe can initiate dynamic transformation of the mind and, ultimately, lead us into greater dimensions of self-knowing and wholeness.
I know several people who traveled from Florida to witness the 2017 total solar eclipse in its path of totality. One of them was moved to a powerful state of awe, followed by what he described as a first-time experience of spiritual realization. I personally didn’t witness the event but made it a point to tune into an NPR cross-country radio broadcast and listened live as the moon passed across the sun. The reaction of crowds ranged from gleeful to sacredly somber, and, on that particular day, the evening news was actually inspirational.
Good Fortune
In 1991, I had the good fortune of meeting Dr. Edgar Mitchell who, at the time, resided in southern Florida. The world immediately recognizes his name as the pilot of the Apollo 14 mission and the sixth man to walk on the moon. Before becoming an astronaut, Dr. Mitchell had been a test pilot with an impressive command of both engineering and aeronautics.
After retiring from NASA and the Navy in 1972, Dr. Mitchell completed another stellar mission, having launched––along with cofounder Paul Temple––the Institute of Noetic Sciences, a nonprofit group dedicated to advancing the conscious evolution of planet earth through the study of how “beliefs, thoughts and intentions affect the physical world.” (Dr. Mitchell made his final journey out of this world in February, 2016, on the eve of the 45th anniversary of his lunar landing.)
“My view of our planet was a glimpse of divinity.”––Edgar Mitchell
I met Dr. Mitchell through a guest at a fledgling New Thought church I had founded in Fort Lauderdale, FL. He was gracious to consent to speak at our first fundraiser luncheon. Afterwards, when I thanked him, he recounted a life-transforming moment that took place as he stood on the moon and looked back upon the earth. His words are paraphrased below:
Looking back at Earth from the surface of the Moon, I experienced a moment of awe, a moment of overwhelming ecstasy––a glimpse of divinity. That small sphere in the vastness of space was home to everyone we love, everything we have ever known, everyone who has ever been. Looking at the Earth from that perspective deeply transformed my mind and prompted my studies in consciousness. The men who went to the Moon were technicians, but this experience affected all of them. They returned as humanitarians…and more.
“We are all astronauts on spaceship earth.”––Webbo Ockels, Astronaut, European Space Agency
In our present era, only a few human beings will travel into space to have an epiphany or reconceive their purpose for being on Earth. Clearly, it’s a road less traveled.
Long ago, it was said that certain knowledge was not of this world. Departure or retreat from the world has long been a hallmark of spiritual practice, as has taking a long journey as a quest for enlightenment. It appears that space travel is more than a technological accomplishment, but a chapter in the escalating awareness of our own nature and place in the universe. Perhaps that feeling of infinity that we experience when looking at the stars reminds us of where we originated.
“To look out at this kind of creation, out here and not believe in God is to me is impossible…It just strengthens my faith. I wish there were words to describe what it’s like.” ––John Glenn
Juliette Jones is a Venice, FL-based freelance writer and contributor to Natural Awakenings. Email her at scribecafe@gmail.com.